standalone database

[Guest]

Can one create a standalone database in Access? That is where the user
doesn't have to have the full version of Access to view and use the database?
(I'm thinking of the fact that you can create a PowerPoint show in
PowerPoint and the user only has to have PowerPoint viewer.)
Thanks

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

There's no such thing as a standalone Access database.

Assuming that you want to allow people who do not have Access installed to
use your application, you have 3 main options:

1) Rewrite your application in a language that can be compiled into an
executable such as VB or VC++ (note that your data will still have to be
kept in an external MDB file)

2) Rewrite your application as a web app

3) Get the Access Developer edition that's appropriate for whatever version
of Access you're using (see
http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/developereditionversions.htm for details of
what you need to look for) What this allows you to do is package your
application together with a royalty-free run-time version of Access. Users
who don't have Access installed will be able to install the run-time and use
your application. They will not be able to use the runtime to make design
changes to your application (nor to any other MDB)

You need to purchase the following in order to create an Access 2003 runtime
application:

- Microsoft Access 2003
- Visual Studio Tools for Office 2005 (which includes the Access 2003
Developer Extensions)

The ADE is the product that gives you the license to deploy the 2003 runtime
components and you have to have Access 2003 installed in order to install
the ADE.

See http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/products/vsto/default.aspx or
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011208861033.aspx for more
details.

For Access 2007, the runtime is actually free. You can download it from
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...d9-9dc6-4b38-9fa6-2c745a175aed&DisplayLang=en
and the Access Developer Extensions from
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...58-ECE4-4BEE-A844-F81856DCEB67&displaylang=en

 

[Guest]

Thanks so much, Doug. Option 3 is exactly what someone had told me before,
but I couldn't remember the terminology. I don't know if this is something
that I can learn to do or not, but I'm willing to try.

Thanks again.
Dianne

 

[nelsonsoft]

You might check the viewer at www.nssdd.com. It does not require
Access to be installed.
Gil

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

From what I can tell, all that does is allow you to get at the data in the
MDB (or MDE) file (which is something you can do from any ODBC compliant
application). You won't be able to use the forms, reports, macros or VBA
code, meaning the users would not be able to use the database application
itself.